Andrew (third from left to right), who was stripped of his princely title, with his siblings: King Charles, Princess Anne and Prince Edward, at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II Photo: Profimedia
Andrew, the younger brother of King Charles of Great Britain, the former Duke of York, was one of the most visible members of the British monarchy. But after his name in the file of the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, his royal titles were withdrawn.
The reputation of Andrew, the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth II, has been heavily damaged in recent years, particularly by his links to Epstein.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, 66, is a former naval officer and veteran of the Falkland Islands War.
His name has appeared in the Epstein files for years: A woman, Virginia Giuffre, claimed that she was among the girls and young women sexually exploited by Jeffrey Epstein and his circle of wealthy friends, including Prince Andrew, whom he sued in 2021.
Giuffre, who committed suicide in early 2025, claimed she was forced to have sex with Andrew on three occasions, including when she was 17 at his friend Ghislaine Maxwell's London residence in 2001. The prince has consistently denied the allegations, and he and Giuffre reached an undisclosed settlement in 2022.
Retirement from public life and loss of the title of prince
In 2019, Andrew announced that he was retiring from public life over his links to Epstein, despite his denials of any wrongdoing.
The prince ceased to be an “active member of the royal family” from 2022. He then lost the right to use the title of Royal Highness and no longer appeared at official royal family events.
In October 2025, Andrew renounced the title of Duke of York. In the same month, his brother Charles also stripped him of his princely title, leaving Andrew with the name Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. Former Prince Andrew was also forced to leave the Windsor home.
